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One of the latest is Antwerp: A View from the Sky by Wim Robberechts. Flying above Antwerp, Robberechts took 6,000 photographs, 140 of which made it to the final book, which covers various aspects of the city such as tourism, industry, history and infrastructure. The photos offer a perspective of Antwerp and its people that ground-level photography simply cannot.

An aerial view of the magnificent cathedral, for instance, might seem like an obvious shot, but it becomes crystal clear just how much larger this biggest Gothic church in the Low Countries really is compared to the rest of the buildings in Antwerp. The 123-meter tower juts so high into the sky, it’s visible from miles away and demands renewed respect for its mediaeval builders.

A hammer-shaped pattern in the ground at Deurne airport, meanwhile, is the only remnant left of anti-aircraft guns of the Second World War, while another shot shows that the open-air swimming pool De Molen is as much a place for socialising as for swimming.

Robberechts is a highly experienced aerial photographer and cameraman and is used to leaning out of a helicopter door to get shots. Still, working over Antwerp brought a special set of challenges. “With Deurne airport on its doorstep, the airspace above Antwerp is heavily regulated,” he explains. “Our plans had to be minutely detailed and submitted well in advance.” During the flight, the pilot was in constant communication with Deurne’s air traffic controllers for any last-minutes changes to their flight path.

For most of the photos, permission to publish them was unnecessary, as they involved public places. But Robberechts took a few of private homes that he particularly wanted to use. “We flew over a large garden party that clearly included at least three generations of family members. The ladies were drinking white wine; the men Leffe beer; and the children were playing in the swimming pool,” he recalls. “It was a wonderful Flemish family gathering, and an unmissable photo opportunity.” (See page 1) Robberechts contacted the family and got permission to include their photograph in the book.

Robberechts’ company also does aerial filming, taking helicopter shots of most of the Formula One Grand Prix events, major cycle races in Belgium, and the Tour de France. He currently has a film crew in South America covering the 6,000-kilometre Dakar rally.

His next project is closer to home. Currently in pre-production, Flanders: The Movie will release towards the end of the year. The movie will be filmed in High Definition with the company’s eight gyro-stabilised cameras and will be screened at international exhibitions, events and congresses.

So how come a small company in Diegem, with a full-time staff of only nine, manages to get blue-chip aerial filming contracts such as the Formula One Grand Prix, the Dakar Rally and the Tour de France? “Apart from our experience and skills, it’s because we are Flemish!” he exclaims. “Being Flemish means we are multi-lingual and very adaptable, so can meet the requirements of our clients wherever they are in the world.”


International airspace

Another new release, Flanders from the Air, includes over 200 photographs covering 10 themes. With its captions in eight languages and introductions in five, it’s clearly intended to introduce Flanders to international audiences. Versions are also available wholly in Russian, Chinese, German and Spanish.

The international community was certainly well represented at the book launch in Herentals last month. Recipients of the first three books off the press were Yuanyuan Zhang, newly appointed Ambassador of China in Belgium, Professor Reinhard Bettzuege, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Belgium, and Lucas Boudet, Director of the French Chamber of Commerce. These three, along with the Italian and Russian ambassadors, also contributed to the foreword of the book, where they described their visions of Flanders.

Flanders from the Air was put together by photographer Marc Soubron and journalist Rik Neven, who throw up some fascinating and often unexpected sights: the conical dome on the roof of the Flemish Centre for Contemporary Glass Art in Lommel, the topiaries in Hasselt Park, the delightfully creative water towers of Bierbeek and Landen, the roller coasters of Bobbejaanland and the design in the Epernayplein in Middelkerke, which can, in fact, only be seen from the air.

The book follows in the footsteps of Flemish Architecture from the Air and Limburg from the Air, which are produced by the same team. What’s perhaps most striking about all these books is their paradox: how expansive certain places and events are – like Wijnegem Shopping Center or the Rock Werchter festival – compared with just how little everything is in relation to the never-ending landscape. Flanders seems big and small at the same time.

Psychological and physical demands of aerial photography aside, Soubron says his greatest challenge was the unreliable Belgian weather: “The summer of 2008 was disastrous for aerial photography.” Despite meticulous planning, the last few outdoor swimming pools in Flanders could not be photographed until the final day of the school vacation.

“Thankfully, 31 August was a sunny day, and the pools were crowded,” recalls Soubron. “I don’t think an empty swimming pool on a dull, cloudy day would have looked too appealing.”

What about an ice and snow storm? Our suggestion for the next book: Freezing Flanders from the Air.

online

www.robberechts.tv

www.vlaanderenvanuitdelucht.be